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There’s only one word for that; Magic Darts! Bullseye slot checks out in style

There’s only one word for that; Magic Darts! Bullseye slot checks out in style

I have to admit to having a real love for this slot game, chiefly stemming from my enjoyment of the TV show in which the Bullseye slot is based from when I was a child. It was essential viewing on a Sunday afternoon in my house and Jim Bowen was a fixture of the weekend's as were the darting legends that used to appear on the show.

So, I'm going to try my best to be as impartial as I can with this popular Microgaming slot and point out some of its weaker points, as well as what I believe it does particularly well. However, putting aside my own love for the TV show that bears its name, I still feel that a slot game, Bullseye is one of Microgaming's top TV-show themed slots.

So what is it that makes me say that? Let's take a closer look at the slot and find out and then maybe at the end, you'll get your tankard, set of darts and the famous "Bendy Bully".

Overview

Game: Bullseye

Developer: Microgaming

Reels: 5

Pay Lines: 243 Ways to Win

Minimum Bet: 0.30

Maximum Bet: 15.00

Jackpot: 1,215,000

Free Spins Bonus: Yes

Other Bonuses: Yes

Progressive: No

Volatility: Medium

Presentation

Microgaming have absolutely nailed the presentation on the Bullseye slot. Even in the 1980s, we used to love the slightly shabby, retro style of the program, even though it tried to be exciting and futuristic and Microgaming have captured that vibe perfectly in the game.

Firstly, you have the Bullseye music playing along as you spin the reels. That for me is a massive plus from the start as the famous music is as iconic as the TV show itself. The fact that Bully makes regular appearances (often with his trademark 'moo') also harks back to the TV show and the bonus games are also based on rounds from the quiz.

Add to that retro style sound effects, the TV studio setting for the slot and clever selection for the symbols in the game and you have a slot that is deliberately retro but which perhaps more-so than any other retro slot, captures the essence of the original show perfectly.

What is on the reels?

One of my favourite things on the reels is the selection of symbols for the game. Forget the playing card lows, the reels are packed with items that will immediately take you back to the famous quiz show. Lower value symbols include Jim Bowen's famous glasses and question cards, the Bendy Bully, the tankard, the set of darts (these final three items were the minimum players received for being on the show). Other lower value symbols include a wad of old style £10 and £20 notes (which Jim used to carry with him to pay the contestants in cash) and a bullseye dart flight.

Brilliantly, the higher value items are some of the star prizes that people used to win if they managed to reach the final stage of the quiz, a chance to bet all your prizes you won on the Prize Board, against the Star Prize. You did this by scoring 101 or more with six darts, three for the non-darts player and three for the team's darts ace. The symbols are the car, caravan and the famous speedboat (which I remember was won one time by a couple of blokes from Birmingham, arguably the place in the UK furthest from the open sea).

The choice of symbols is absolutely perfect for the slot as everyone has a clear and definite link back to the show and is instantly recognisable by those who have watched the show in the past.

Wild features

The slot also has a Wild symbol and this is the Bullseye logo, which features the cartoon character Bully. This offers a chance at a sizeable win of up to 500 coins per line, but the Wild symbol is stacked in both the base game and Free Spins and if you can land multiple of these stacks across the reel, you can trigger multiple line wins and this is how some of the much larger wins in the game are possible, especially when you consider there are 243 Ways to Win in play.

As you would expect, the Wild symbol can substitute for any of the symbols on the reel, except the Scatter symbol and also the Bonus symbol, which both unlock the two main features of the slot as we shall explore below.

Free Spins features

The Free Spins symbol is the Scatter and you need three or more of these anywhere across the reels to trigger 15 Free Spins. You will also receive a pay out for triggering Free Spins which ranges from 5x your total bet for three Scatters, uop to 100x your total bet for all five Scatters.

During your Free Spins all your wins are subject to a 2x multiplier, which doubles the standard win amounts in the bonus round. You can also re-trigger Free Spins from within the bonus round by landing three or more scatters once again on any Free Spin.

There is another feature available to play and that is the Prize Bonus Board game. This feature triggers when you land the Bonus symbol on the first and fifth reels on a single spin. When you trigger this you are awarded five 'throws' at the Bonus Prize board and each throw will see you awarded a cash prize of between 2x and 15x your total stake.

Best feature of the Bullseye slot

There is no weak sport of the Bullseye slot but I think the very best feature are the two bonus games. The Prize Board game will bring back many a happy memory for the Bullseye fan and offers a decent amount in prizes with up to 75x your stake available, however it is the Free Spins bonus that has the potential to see some truly massive winners in the game.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic TV-tie in slot game and certainly, in my view, is one of the most enjoyable to play and one that best captures the feel of the original TV show. The clever use of symbols, music and design have combined to offer players not just a fantastic slot game, but in my view one of Microgaming's best ever slots and one that you will keep coming back to play time and time again. Jim Bowen famous catchphrase was "You can't beat a bit of Bully" and that certainly rings true for the Bullseye slot.